Hong Kong’s Executive Council on Tuesday passed a series of amendments to voting laws in the former colony. The Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Bill 2021 would redraw electoral districts and increase the number of districts from five to ten, create a committee to vet candidates for public office, and criminalize incitement not to vote, [...]

Dozens of the largest law firms in the US signed on to a statement on Monday denouncing efforts to restrict Americans’ ability to vote. Leaders of 62 of the nation’s 100 largest law firms added their names to the statement, which called “laws that impose unnecessary obstacles and barriers on the right to vote and [...]

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Thursday that his government will end exemptions for judges and politicians from sexual harassment laws. The announcement comes in response to nationwide protests against sexual violence, prompted by allegations of rapes committed by high level politicians, including an allegation against attorney general Christian Porter. Early last year Australia’s [...]

Iran on Tuesday announced indictments against 10 individuals it says were involved in the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane in January 2020. Iran had been on high military alert at the time of the downing of the aircraft. Just days before Iran had launched missile attacks against targets in Iraq, including bases housing [...]

Sudan’s Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved a bill to cancel a 1958 law mandating a boycott of the nation of Israel. The 1958 law forbade diplomatic and business relations with Israel, with penalties including up to 10 years in jail and large fines for violators. Last October the two nations agreed to normalize relations [...]

On Wednesday ousted lawmakers in Myanmar announced the abolition of the 2008 constitution that enshrined the military’s ability to interfere in the political situation in the country. The announcement of the repeal was issued by the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, a group of lawmakers from the National League for Democracy party, which won landslide elections [...]

New Mexico is poised to become the sixteenth state legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana after the state legislature passed House Bill 2 on Wednesday. The New Mexico bill will allow persons age 21 and over to have up to two ounces of marijuana in their possession, as well as six plants per individual or twelve per [...]

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday dealt a blow to Democratic governor Tony Evers when it struck down his statewide mask mandate. Under state law, the governor can declare a state of emergency for 60 days, after which it can only be extended by a joint resolution by the state legislature. The legislature can also, [...]

New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law Wednesday legalizing the adult use of marijuana, making it the fifteenth state to fully legalize the drug. The bill passed Tuesday by wide margins in both the state senate, by a 40 to 23 vote, and the state assembly, with 100 votes in favor to [...]

A Texas district judge denied the Texas attorney general’s request for a temporary injunction against the city of Austin’s mask mandate on Friday. The denial is another setback for Ken Paxton, who filed suit against the city on March 11 for not complying with the governor’s order ending the state’s COVID-19 mask mandate. City and [...]